Fennel

Common Name: Fennel

Exposure: Full sun

Height: 120–180 cm (48–72 in)

Width: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)

Spacing: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)

Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hoverflies, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects

Flavour: Sweet, mild anise or licorice flavour.

Use: Fresh foliage, seeds, and bulbs (on bulb-forming varieties) are used in salads, soups, seafood dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, teas, and pickling

Plant Habit: Upright, feathery, clump-forming herb with finely divided aromatic foliage

Harvest: Harvest young leaves as needed throughout the growing season. Collect seeds once the flower heads turn brown and dry. Bulbs, if growing Florence fennel, are harvested when they reach 7–10 cm (3–4 in) across.

Companion Plants: Dill, coriander, calendula, nasturtium, and pollinator-friendly flowers. Fennel is best grown away from most vegetables, especially tomatoes, beans, peppers, and carrots, as it can inhibit the growth of some nearby plants.

General Information: Fennel is a highly aromatic herb prized for its delicate, feathery foliage and sweet anise flavour. Throughout summer, it produces large clusters of bright yellow flowers that are highly attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects. The leaves, seeds, and pollen are all edible and widely used in culinary dishes. Fennel thrives in fertile, well-drained soil and full sun with consistent moisture during establishment. It readily self-seeds under favourable conditions and is an excellent addition to herb gardens, pollinator gardens, and edible landscapes. In most Canadian gardens, common fennel is hardy and returns year after year in suitable growing conditions.